Mrs Sciencebase almost stepped on this Adder as it crossed the footpath at RSPB Minsmere last week. I got a quick snapshot of it and thought I'd missed the head, but that is in the photo, just not quite in focus...

Photography has always been about developing the image for best, effect from the earliest film capture to the smartest phone filter. My recent heavily cropped, high ISO Dartford Warbler was not the clearest bird photo ever...so I "developed" it with Gemini... Where does one draw the line?

One of dozens of Sand Martin diving in and out of the burrows on the "cliff" face at RSPB Minsmere, earlier this week #UKBirding, you could sit all day watching them come and go from the cafe terrace

Flying visit to Suffolk yesterday to get a Dartford Warbler fix and to taste some local ale...well...we saw a few of the Warblers, heard several Nightingales, and clocked our first Woodlark, Lullula arborea at Westleton Heath. This one was about 60m away, so not a sharp crop shot #UKBirding

Loads of singing Blackcap, Cetti's, Chiffchaff, and Garden Warbler at RSPB Fen Drayton, didn't pick up a Cuckoo yet though... I'm sure there's an AI way to remove errant twigs from photos like this! Bah!

Went back to the green synergetic last night #teamMoth First Angle Shades of the year! One of my favourites for its look and its name

Finally clocked my first male Orange Tip of the year, they've been elusive #butterflies RSPB Fen Drayton

Flypast from one of our local cranes #BirdingUK Huge success story in this part of the world, essentially extinct locally for years, but now present in triple figures and breeding

Three NFYs to the MV #teamMoth Least Black Arches, Pale Pinion, Silver Y

Heard 30 Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti) at RSPB Ouse Fen (Earith). Loud, but timid bird, distinctive call heard from deep within bramble clumps. This time, saw just one, in flight, for a split second, they rarely stop for a photo #UKBirding (Cetti's, ch, as in chicken) xeno-canto.org/1049102

There used to be a more natural nest bank for the local Sand Martins, but it's a concrete sluice for them now, and they're just as happy #UKBirding

Meanwhile, there are lots of Sand Martins at a local sluice that has nest holes in the concrete (years ago it was a more natural nesting bank) It's hard getting shots without the concrete in the frame #UKBirding The birds turned up at the end of March

Sir Terry was prowling around the garden last night from lighting up time until dawn |:-( #teamMoth

Frosted Green was definitely NFG #teamMoth What a cracker!

Dark form of Acleris cristana to MV in Cambs a couple of nights ago, not sure I've ever noted this one before #teamMoth but not a species NFG

My garden max-min thermometer reckons it got down to 4C in our Cambs garden last night. 1x Early Grey, 5x Hebrew, 1x Small Quaker #teamMoth to MV. Expecting things to pick up any day now.............................................

There were St Mark's Fly, Bibio marci, out and about yesterday in Cambs. 4th April, fairly early for them (16th in 2025, 26th in 2024 for me), traditionally first seen 25th April on their saint's day. They're the black flies with the dangly legs

Strom Dave tipped over our mini greenhouse, seedlings and soil everywhere, dammit, but the moth trap was okay #teamMoth

While you're weathering my storm...here's a little reminder of summer delights - Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui. #UKButterflies An amazing multi-step African migrant species

Just 7 of 6 to MV in Cambs, 6 degrees C, but one of them was NFG - Caloptilia stigmatella, Willow Stilt, 34th species of the year, 347th specimen #teamMoth Supposedly a Jun-July flyer, but also recorded September onwards...it's early April!!!

Houston...this Microsoft Security Centre, you have AI computer virus on your computer...I am sending the right link for you, please click on the right link and login so I can access remotely your screen and fix this for you... www.pcmag.com/news/even-as...

Used the AF lamp after midnight instead of the MV, amazing results #teamMoth in Cambs 1x DS Pug, 3x Acherontia atropos, 5x Twenty-plume, 1x Eudonia angustea, 1x Red-green Carpet

For all the security banks are supposed to have, I got mine to send me a replacement username+password simply by calling them from my registered phone and giving them my name, place of birth and birthdate...public domain information. Someone who had stolen my phone and got in, could do the same

Mercury, the message for the winged gods of the garden #teamMoth www.sciencebase.com/science-blog...

#spoilerAlert Have to say the whole of the general silliness that is Project Hail Mary is redeemed (a bit) by Grace's excuse for not being qualified to become an astronaut: "I can't even moon walk"

It got down to close to zero last night, not great for #teamMoth here in Cambs. 2x Hebrews, that was it...

Editorial rule is spell out abbreviations at first mention. But, space is tight on social media, so if don't in #teamMoth updates, then asssume you can refer to my "proboscis-in-palp" mothing glossary www.sciencebase.com/science-blog...

Ahead of the next phase in my mothing #teamMoth I've tidied up and properly tabulated my stats for each year since I started in 2018 imagingstorm.co.uk/lepidoptera-...

My MV is on the way. Should I warn the neighbours now or use it as nocturnal revenge for the endless barking of dogs #teamMoth

Just checking in on a local PUC in the next village #UKBirding It claimed a Common Cuckoo this morning...which would be bizarre in March, so I had a listen to the recording...it was a Wood Pigeon. Obvs. I won't bother listening to the alleged Common Swift it claimed two days ago.

The first Streamer of the year for me here in Cambs #teamMoth So-called because it looks like it has a pennant on each forewing. Looked at upside down, it's almost showing a face staring back at a predator that spotted it despite the camouflage #pareidolia

Just back from am drams (I was merely ushering, not treading the boards)...first Streamer of the year on the fence near the trap #teamMoth

We have a translation... bsky.app/profile/scie...

I have finally...after almost 8 years of mothing with actinics, synergetics, and LEDs...bitten the bullet and ordered a blended MV kit to try and up my game! #teamMoth

The oceanic horror movie nobody asked for "Humanatees"

An unfortunately rather worn Brindled Beauty still manages to hide itself on a lichen-covered log in our Cambridgeshire garden. 25th species of 2026 #teamMoth

Mineral Moon #NotAI #NotFake #JustDeveloped #MineralMoon #LunalogicalMap

Two of our favourite places to visit at least once or twice a year for very different reasons - Brecon Beacons and London Which would be your first choice of the two?

I had what I was told was the earliest UK Orange Tip sighting of 2024, on 18th March, so I've been scouring our patch again this year since ~16th...still nothing. #UKButterflies

Peregrine Flypast #UKBirding

First Red Chestnut of the year for me in Cambs last night as well as the usual quakers and hebrews

Last night's new for the year #teamMoth

Yesterday's imperial moth #teamMoth

Royal succession - this year's imperial appearance #teamMoth www.sciencebase.com/science-blog...

Been seeing European Peacock out and about for almost a month, they're one of the earliest UKButterfly species to appear here.

Saw my first Comma of the year today on a local nature reserve (Landbeach, Cambs). Butterfly so-called because it has a white "comma" shaped marking on the underside of the forewing. The marking described in its scientific name as a c - Polygonia c-album. #UKButterflies

Pammene giganteana to SKI lure just now in our sunny Cambs garden #teamMoth

Emperor (EMP) lure is out for its 8th season. Warm, sunny day, high hopes #teamMoth Half caught a glimpse of a couple of fast-moving likelies, but won't record until I have a positive ID, could've been Peacocks

I can see just one nearby pine tree from our back garden, which might be sufficient for a colony, but I haven't seen Pine Beauty since the one and only appearance 19th April 2022 #teamMoth (Archive photo) Wasn't a Wogan last night - Plume, Quaker (2), Early Grey (2)

Peregrine pair #UKBirding Photo taken from a vantage point at least 100m away and very much zoomed and cropped